Mind the Gap
by Jennrosee
Summary: When a young woman loses her ticket for the London Eye, a handsome stranger offers his. Could it just be a coincidence or a work of fate?


My fabulous beta SqueakyZorro made this readable. The characters were borrowed. Their stories are mine. I've never been to England, so I apologize for any inaccuracies.

* * *

She looked out across the river at the London Eye. It wasn't a new sight. She had ridden every day for the week she'd been here. Now she would ride it one last time before she caught the train that would take her to the airport.

It had always been her dream to travel to the British Isles. There was a time in her life when she had many dreams, all of which had slowly faded away after she met _him_. But now her life was different, and she felt just as triumphant and peaceful as she did the day she left him.

It had not been her choice to leave, though she wished she would have been strong enough to leave on her own. He'd met someone else, and though he'd had a lot of "someone elses while he was with her, this someone else was finally taking her place…and she was relieved. She was relieved because she no longer had to deal with him; relieved because for all those years she had put up with him, she only did it because she believed she was the only woman who would. She believed she was the only woman who would love him even though he made it so difficult. _No one else is going to put up with him, and he's not _all_ bad. I can't hurt him like that,_ she would think to herself. She hadn't realized then that the only reason she believed this was because he had made her believe it so she would stay. But to her relief, someone else finally did love him, and so, with relief, she let him go.

And then she took him back when he would knock on her door crying and saying how sorry he was and how evil the new girl was to him. She'd let him back in at night, he would leave in the morning to go back to the new girl, and shame would consume her when she realized she was no different.

Then, finally, one triumphant night, he called and she didn't let him in. She no longer wanted to feel the pain and the shame she felt because of him. She was responsible for her own actions. She was the person who was supposed to control her life, and she wanted her life back. Finally, she was strong and as much as it hurt, it also felt good. She had finally beaten him, and she promised herself in that moment that she would never move backward again.

She regretted the three years of her life she had lost with him. If only she had been strong the first time it happened…But he had already broken her down; she just hadn't realized it at the time. They had been in another country for his brother's wedding, and his entire family had been there. What was she supposed to have done? Told his family what he had done? Told them she wanted to go home? She hadn't had money for a plane ticket, and it would have ruined his brother's wedding for his family. His family had always been so kind and loving to her; she couldn't disappoint them. So she had stayed quiet after he had apologized, begged for her forgiveness, and spent the entire night in the hotel room crying, while she had consoled _him_.

She had gone on as if it had never happened, and had sworn to herself that if it ever did happen again she would leave. She never thought she would be one of those women. She always thought she was strong. She always thought that the second a man hit her, he would be out as fast as possible. So why did she stay for so long?

As her taxi crossed the bridge, she enjoyed the sight of the river for the last time. This was a place she thought she would never be. She had taken a trip to Europe on her own, and she had done it without needing help from anyone.

For so long he had made her feel like she wasn't good enough. Nothing she did was right. "You're so stupid. Can't you do anything right? What's wrong with you? Are you really going to eat that? You're already fat enough."

But she had shown him this time. A part of her wished he could see her now–how happy she was, how successful she had become.

Since _him_, she'd had brief relationships with other men, but those had been mostly just for fun. None of them had been someone she could imagine spending her life with. Real love still scared her, mostly because she'd never felt it before, and she wasn't even sure if it truly existed. She was just a plain Jane. Would a man even want to spend his life with her, or love her?

Before _he_ entered her life she was young and vibrant, typical college student who was spirited and carefree. Her fears were few and far between, and what few fears she did have she met head on, doing exactly the things that frightened her the most. Now that person was gone. She had often wondered if she would ever resurface again, or had she been lost for good?

The taxi pulled up to the London Eye. The large wheel that towered over the city provided a view so beautiful that she couldn't help but ride one last time before she went back home to Chicago and was met with real life once again. The thirty minutes each day she spent on the wheel, even when she was in a packed cart with twenty other people, gave her more peace than she had felt in a long time. She exited the taxi and approached the gate attendant with her suitcase.

"Excuse me, sir? I know you don't allow large bags in the carts, and I was wondering if there was some place safe I could leave my suitcase while I ride? I'm headed straight to the airport after this, and I was hoping to ride just one more time. I already purchased my ticket earlier in the week."

"Yes, ma'am. We can watch your bag for you."

"Why, thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, ma'am, and I'm sorry to see you leaving us. We will miss your daily visits."

"You are very sweet, sir. I'm sorry to be leaving as well."

She reached into her purse for her ticket but could not find it. It must have fallen out when she paid the taxi driver.

"Sir, I seem to have misplaced my ticket. Is it too late to buy another one?

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we've sold out for the day. I'm afraid there is no more room."

"Oh, but I _did_ purchase a ticket for today, so my spot is still open. Is there any way I can just replace my ticket?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we can't print out any more tickets; the computer only allows for a limited number per day. It won't print out anymore for today's date, and for safety reasons we can't allow anyone in the cart without a paper ticket. I am truly sorry, ma'am."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry, too. I was hoping for one last ride before I left today, but I understand. Thank you, sir."

She reached for her suitcase and couldn't help but feel saddened by the disappointing end to her trip.

"I have an extra ticket. You can have it if you'd like."

She turned toward the voice with the American accent and was instantly smitten by the handsome man with the platinum hair that stood before her.

"Oh, no. I couldn't take your ticket. I'm sure you purchased it for someone else."

"I did but that was a while ago, and the person it was meant for couldn't come. So really, I'd be happy to share it with you."

"Um, okay. How much do I owe you for it?"

"Nothing, really, it's my pleasure."

She could see the kindness in his eyes, but she also noted a hint of sadness behind them.

"Alright then. Thank you, sir."

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Hello, Carlisle. I'm Esme."

"Hello, Esme. I believe that's our cart. Shall we?" he asked as he held out his arm to her.

"Yes," she said taking hold of it and handing her suitcase to the attendant who smiled kindly at her.

The pair walked into the observation cart and sat on the bench in the center as others filed into the cart around them.

"I noticed you had a suitcase with you. Are you just arriving, Esme?"

"No, unfortunately, I'm headed to the airport after this. I'm going back home today."

"Oh, I see. Well, at least we have the next 30 minutes to enjoy each other's company."

Esme smiled. "Yes, I suppose we do."

"So, Esme, where is home?"

"Chicago. You?"

"New York. What brought you to London?" he asked.

"It was always a dream of mine to come here, so a couple of weeks ago I just decided to do it. It's been a wonderful experience."

"You came here alone?"

"Yes."

"Why alone? Isn't there somebody you wanted to share the experience with?"

"No. There's nobody, but alone is good. It gave me a chance to just be me for a while, you know? I didn't have to live up to anybody else's expectations. I was able to go where I wanted and do what I wanted without having to please anybody else, just myself."

"Hmm, I see. Well, I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourself. Not many people are comfortable doing things alone, especially traveling so far away from home."

"What about you? You said the person you were supposed to be here with couldn't make it?"

"Yes…my wife."

"Oh," she said feeling a twinge of disappointment. Perhaps he had been too good to be true.

"Today is our fifth anniversary," he said. "We began planning this trip almost two years ago. We always wanted to spend our anniversary in London. We had a monthly payment plan with a travel agent, so every month we would deposit a small portion of our paychecks into an account with the travel agent. My wife didn't know about this part, though. I bought the tickets for the London Eye on the side. It was supposed to be a surprise."

"I don't understand. Why isn't she here then?" Esme asked.

Carlisle sighed and gazed out the window toward the city slowly descending before him. "Shortly after we began paying for the trip, she was diagnosed with lymphoma. The doctors all said it was a very curable form, and they had no doubt that the chemotherapy would cure her, so we kept our plans and continued our monthly deposits. After a while, though, the doctors saw the chemo wasn't working as they had hoped, so they began radiation therapy on her. When that didn't work, they said she needed a stem cell transplant, only the insurance we had wouldn't cover it. We fought for months and were denied time after time. Finally, they approved the transplant, but by then it was too late. The cancer had taken over her lymphatic system, and her immune system was destroyed. She'd caught a minor flu virus, but her body couldn't fight it off like a healthy person's could. She passed a year ago, but I decided to come anyway. We'd already had most of the trip paid for, and she would have been unhappy if I hadn't come."

"Oh, Carlisle," Esme said, fighting back the tears as her throat tightened. "I'm very sorry."

"No, really, it's okay now. You've shown me it's not so bad to be here alone, and besides, I got to spend this part of the trip with you."

As the wheel continued its rotation, the pair talked about their lives and their loves. Carlisle learned of Esme's past, and Esme learned that Carlisle and his wife had been college sweethearts and that her last words to him were to not be afraid to love again. They were so caught up in each other neither noticed when their cart had reached the ground.

"Oh my! I guess our time is up," Esme said as the doors opened.

"Please, Esme, let me walk you to the train. I know it's not far, but I'd hate for you to walk by yourself."

"I'd like that very much, Carlisle," she replied with a smile.

Esme retrieved her suitcase and Carlisle immediately took it for her.

"And they say chivalry is dead. Thank you, sir!"

"My pleasure, madam," Carlisle replied and winked as he bowed his head.

The pair walked together, taking in the London streets until they found the stairs to the London Underground. The subway station bustled with workers and tourists alike, heading for their various destinations.

"Well, at least it's not as awful as the New York subway," Carlisle said with a chuckle.

A woman's voice played from the speakers around them as commuters stepped on and off the trains. "Mind the gap."

"Well, I guess this is my stop," Esme said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"I'm very glad that I met you, Esme. If you're ever in New York, please don't hesitate to visit. Or if you would ever want to plan a visit, that would be welcome too," Carlisle said as a slight blush crossed his face.

"I would like that very much, and the same goes for you, Carlisle, if you're ever in Chicago."

The next train pulled up to a stop, and the voice of the woman once again echoed through the station. "Mind the gap."

Carlisle leaned into her and kissed her cheek, and Esme reached for her suitcase and joined the crowd filing into the train.

She stepped onto the train and turned for one last look at the handsome man with the platinum hair that had come to mean so much to her in less than an hour's time.

"Mind the gap."

As she looked at him, Esme couldn't help asking herself what she was returning home to. An empty apartment? A job that she could easily replace? A loveless life full of unhappy relationships?

The words that had echoed through the station echoed in her head. _Mind the gap_.

She had no children to raise, no pets to feed. Her bills were paid up for the month.

_Mind the gap_.

Yet standing in the terminal before her was a future she had yet to discover. Maybe he would be just another meaningless relationship, but maybe, _just maybe,_ he would be more than that. Would she take the chance? Could she take the chance?

_Mind the gap_.

"Ma'am, you're standing in the way of the door," she heard a man's voice say. "It can't close with you so close to it."

The woman's voice came across the speakers once more. "Mind the gap."

A confused expression crossed Carlisle's face, and she realized she had been looking at him the whole time. She looked down at her feet, and there beneath her was the gap between the train and the platform. As she stared down into it, she began to feel as if she had been presented with a choice. Fate had led the two of them to this moment, but she had to decide for herself if she was going to risk stepping into the unknown or once again step over it and walk away.

_Mind the gap_.

"Mind the gap? No. I don't think I will." Esme stepped off the train and the doors quickly slid shut behind her. She looked to Carlisle and smiled as she walked toward him.

"Esme, what are you doing? You just missed your train."

"I know, Carlisle."

"But why? What are you doing?" he asked.

"Being the person I used to be. Facing my fears. Taking a chance with you, if you are willing to take a chance with me."

Carlisle stood quietly, and Esme suddenly feared she had mistaken his kindness for something more.

"I think I would like that as well," he said and offered her the smile she had grown to love in such a short time.

He took her suitcase as she took his hand, and together they walked out of the train station to embrace whatever fate had in store for them.


End file.
